American Depositary Receipts (ADRs)

International Investing: Get the Facts. There are different ways you can invest internationally: through mutual
funds, American Depositary Receipts, U.S.-traded foreign stocks, or direct
investments in foreign markets. This brochure explains the basic facts about
international investing and how you can learn more about foreign companies and
markets.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/ininvest.htm

Arbitration

Arbitration. Arbitration often allows you to resolve disputes more quickly and cheaply
than by going to court. Learn about the arbitration process in the securities
industry with this brochure.http://www.sec.gov/answers/arbproc.htm

Arbitration, How to Find a Lawyer Specializing in Securities. If you need help in finding a lawyer who specializes in resolving securities
complaints, this publication offers some guidance.http://www.sec.gov/answers/arbatty.htm

Arbitration/Mediation Clinics In California, New York and Pennsylvania.
Learn more about arbitration/mediation clinics: several law schools in the
above states provide some investors with legal representation through these
clinics.http://www.sec.gov/answers/arbclin.htm

Auditing

Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy: What Happens When Public Companies Go Bankrupt. This publication answers the following questions and more: What happens when
a public company files for protection under the federal bankruptcy laws? Who
protects the interests of investors? Do old securities have any value when, and
if, the company is reorganized?http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/bankrupt.htm

Banks and Banking

Banking Regulators. Banking authorities regulate some types of
investments. This document lists the various banking regulators and provides
contact information for each.http://www.sec.gov/answers/bankreg.htm

Bonds

Bond Funds. "Bond Fund" is a term used to describe a type of mutual fund that
invests primarily in bonds or other types of debt securities. Like any
investment, bond funds are subject to a number of investment risks; learn what
these risks are with this publication.http://www.sec.gov/answers/bondfunds.htm

Callable and Redeemable Bonds. Callable or redeemable bonds are bonds that can be redeemed or paid off by
the issuer prior to the bond’s maturity date. Read about the features of these
bonds and how they present more risk than non-callable bonds for investors.
http://www.sec.gov/answers/callablebonds.htm

Ultra-Short Bond Funds: Know Where You're Parking Your Money. Ultra-short bond funds are mutual funds with extremely short maturities, or time periods in which they become due for payment. Our publication explains these funds and how they differ from other investments with relatively low risks, such as money market funds and certificates of deposits (CDs).http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/ultra-short_bond_funds.htm

Brokers and Brokerages

All About Auto-trading. Investment newsletters often market "auto-trading" programs as a way for investors to get instant execution of
trades of securities the newsletter recommends. However, auto-trading programs can be highly risky. Our brochure provides some steps you will want
to take to check out "auto-trading" before handing over your money.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/autotrading.htm

Analyzing Analyst Recommendations. This publication will help you evaluate research reports and recommendations
that analyst prepare. As a general matter, investors should not rely solely on
an analyst’s recommendation when deciding whether to buy, hold, or sell a
stock.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/analysts.htm

Cold Calling: Unsolicited Calls from Brokers. This brochure
tells you how to deal with cold calls, how to stop them,
and how to evaluate any investment opportunity that comes your way over the
telephone.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/coldcall.htm

Execution Quality Statistics: How to Find Information on Order Execution and
Routing Practices. Market Centers that trade national market system securities must provide
basic information concerning their quality of executions on a stock-by-stock
basis, including how market orders of various sizes are executed relative to
the public quotes and information about the effective spreads. This document
provides links to this information.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/exquality.htm

Invest Wisely: Advice From Your Securities Industry Regulators. Before making an investment in securities, you must decide which brokerage
firmand sales representative—also referred to as a stockbroker,
account executive, or registered representative—to use.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/inws.htm

Protect Your Money: Check Out Brokers and Investment Advisers. Before you invest, make sure your brokers, investment advisers, and
investment adviser representatives are licensed to sell securities. This
brochure details how you can determine the validity of your broker's
credentials, whether your broker has had any problems, and more.http://www.sec.gov/investor/brokers.htm

Transferring your Brokerage Account: Tips on Avoiding Delays. Many investors transfer their accounts from one brokerage firm to another
without a hitch -- but the process takes time. This publication details what you can expect when you transfer
your account and describes how account transfers occur.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/acctxfer.htm

Broker and Brokerages - Online, Electronic
Accounts

Online Brokerage Accounts: What You Can Do to Safeguard Your Money and
Your Personal Information. You will need to protect yourself against
identity thieves, whether hackers, phishers, or snoops, when you use your online
brokerage account. This publication provides a few suggestions on ways to
keep your personal information and money more secure when you go online.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/onlinebrokerage.htm

Researching Public Companies Through EDGAR: A Guide for Investors.
This guide provides an overview of the free online database of corporate information filed with the
SEC known as EDGAR. In this guide, you will find tips for using the database and answers to frequently
asked questions about researching public companies.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/edgarguide.htm

Information About Some Companies Not Available From the SEC. The federal securities laws require most publicly traded companies to
register their securities and file reports with the SEC. This document describes
how investors can find information on privately held companies and companies
that are exempt from the SEC’s registration requirements.http://www.sec.gov/answers/noinfo.htm

A Plain English Handbook: How to Create Clear SEC Disclosure Documents. Created by the SEC, this handbook shows you how you can use plain English to
produce more informative disclosure documents.http://www.sec.gov/news/extra/handbook.htm

"Pro Forma" Financial Information: Tips for Investors. It is important for investors
to know that "pro forma" information is not prepared in accordance with the standards applied to financial
statements filed with the SEC. In addition, following passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the SEC
adopted additional disclosure requirements for public companies releasing "pro forma" financial data.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/proforma08-11.htm

Fraud

Affinity Fraud: How to Avoid Investment Scams That Target Groups. Learn how to identify and avoid investment scams that prey upon members of
identifiable groups, such as religious or ethnic communities, the elderly, or
professional groups.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/affinity.htm

Auto-Surfing: What You Need to Know This publication defines auto-surfing and explains the potential for fraud ("Ponzi" or pyramid scheme)
that individuals face when signing on with auto-surfing firms. In addition, it offers some advice for investors to take into account before
deciding to become an auto-surfer.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/autosurf.htm

Avoiding Internet Investment Scams: Tips for Investors. You should be skeptical of investment opportunities you learn about through
the Internet. You can avoid online investment scams by getting the facts before
you invest. This publication will answer some questions for you; let it assist
you when you begin to do your research and investigation.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/scams.htm

Broken Promises: Promissory Note Fraud. While promissory notes
can be legitimate investments, those that are marketed broadly to individual
investors often turn out to be scams.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/promise.htm

Cold Calling: Unsolicited Calls from Brokers. This brochure
tells you how to deal with cold calls, how to stop them,
and how to evaluate any investment opportunity that comes your way over the
telephone.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/coldcall.htm

Fake Seals and Phony Numbers: How Fraudsters Try to Look Legit. Some fraudsters mix truth with fiction to make their lies more believable.
Learn how to protect yourself against deceptive tactics with this publication.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/fakeseals.htm

The Fleecing of Foreign Investors: Avoid Getting Burned by "Hot"
U.S. Stocks. An increasing number of "reload" and "advance fee" scams
target non-U.S. investors who lost money buying low-priced, thinly traded
over-the-counter stocks and who seek to recover their losses. This brochure
describes how some of these scams work, provides tips on how to avoid them, and
tells you where to find help.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/fleecing.htm

Government Impersonators.SEC staff are aware of a number of ongoing investment scams in which con artists have used the names of real SEC employees to trick victims, including non-U.S. investors, into giving the fraudsters access to their brokerage accounts, revealing private information, and even sending the perpetrators money and other assets. Read here for addtional information and how to verify a SEC contacts. http://www.sec.gov/answers/impersonators.htm

"High Yields" and Hot Air. This brochure alerts you to what you should know before you receive those
investment offers that purport to pay sky-high returns for what are at best
extremely risky propositions and at worst are pure fraud.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/investorfraud.htm

Information Matters. This publication describes the information you should review before you
invest, provides tips on how to find information about companies, and lists
several "red flags" to avoid.http://www.sec.gov/answers/infomatters.htm

Internet Fraud: How to Avoid Internet Investment Scams. This publication will tell you how to spot different types of Internet
fraud, what the SEC is doing to fight Internet investment scams, and how to use
the Internet to invest wisely.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/cyberfraud.htm

Microcap Stock: A Guide for Investors. Information about "microcap stocks"—low priced stocks issued by
the smallest companies—may be difficult to find. When reliable information is
scarce, fraudsters can easily spread false information about microcap companies,
making profits while creating losses for unsuspecting investors.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/microcapstock.htm

"Phishing" Fraud: How to Avoid Getting Fried by Phony Phishermen.
This alert describes how to avoid "phishing scams," which involve the
use of fraudulent emails and copy-cat websites to trick you into revealing
valuable personal information, including account numbers and the login IDs and
passwords you use to access online financial services providers. Be aware
that fraudsters who collect this information then use it to steal your money or
your identity or both.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/phishing.htm

Pump&Dump.con: Tips for Avoiding Stock Scams on the Internet. Take time to learn about one of the most common Internet frauds:
which is the classic "pump and dump" scheme.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/pump.htm

SIPC Exposes Phony "Look-Alike" Web Site. A group of fraudsters created a fake mirror image of the Securities Investor
Protection Corporation (SIPC)'s website and used the "look-alike" site
to mislead investors. This publication offers tips on avoiding similar
frauds and tells you how to contact the real regulators.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/sipc.htm

Worthless Stock: How to Avoid Doubling Your Losses. Con artists
across the globe have stepped up their efforts to rip off investors, especially
non-U.S. residents who have lost money in the U.S. securities markets. The
SEC wants investors to be extremely skeptical of offers to exchange worthless or
poorly performing stocks for blue chips or "hot" performers. Our
alert tells you how to spot potential "stock swap" scams, how to
evaluate the offers you hear about, and where to turn for help.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/worthless.htm

"Wrong Numbers" and Stock Tips on Your Answering Machine.
It is never a good idea to put your hard earned money into a stock on the basis
of a hot tip from somebody you do not know. This publication offers
guidance on what to do if you receive that anonymous tip on your telephone
answering machine.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/wrongnumberscam.htm

Fraud - Identity Theft

Online Brokerage Accounts: What You Can Do to Safeguard Your Money and
Your Personal Information. You will need to protect yourself against
identity thieves, whether hackers, phishers, or snoops, when you use your online
brokerage account. This publication provides a few suggestions on ways to
keep your personal information and money more secure when you go online.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/onlinebrokerage.htm

Futures

Commodity Futures Trading Commission. This is your gateway to the U.S. federal agency that regulates futures
trading. A futures contract is an agreement to buy or sell a specific quantity
of a commodity or financial instrument at a specified price on a particular date
in the future.http://www.sec.gov/answers/cftc.htm

Hedging Your Bets: A Heads Up on Hedge Funds and Funds of Hedge Funds. This is your introduction to hedge funds: these funds have limited their
investors by requiring high investment minimums; you should also know that there
are few regulatory controls on this type investment. However, hedge funds are
becoming available to a broader spectrum of investors through "funds of
hedge funds".http://www.sec.gov/answers/hedge.htm

Insurance - Variable Annuities

Variable Annuities: What You Should Know. Variable annuities have become a part of the retirement and investment plans
of many Americans. This publication is a general description of variable
annuities: what they are, how they work, and the charges you will pay.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/varannty.htm

Investment Advisers, Advisors

All About Auto-trading. Investment newsletters often market "auto-trading" programs as a way for investors to get instant execution of
trades of securities the newsletter recommends. However, auto-trading programs can be highly risky. Our brochure provides some steps you will want
to take to check out "auto-trading" before handing over your money.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/autotrading.htm

Five Questions to Ask Before You Invest. Whether you’re a first-time investor or have been investing for many years, there are some basic questions you should always ask before you commit your hard-earned money to an investment. http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/fivequestions.htm.

Investment Advisers: What You Need to Know Before Choosing One. The SEC receives many questions about investment advisers—who they are and
how to go about choosing one. This document answers some of the typical
questions we receive from investors. The Q&A section is for the benefit of
investors. You should not rely upon it to determine if you need to register as
an investment adviser.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/invadvisers.htm

Protect Your Money: Check Out Brokers and Investment Advisers. Before you invest, make sure your brokers, investment advisers, and
investment adviser representatives are licensed to sell securities. This brochure details how you can determine the
validity of your broker's credentials, whether your broker has had any problems, and more.http://www.sec.gov/investor/brokers.htm

Selecting and Monitoring Pension Consultants: Tips for Plan Fiduciaries. Fiduciaries of employee benefit plans often rely on consultants in several key areas, such as determining the plan's
investment objectives and restrictions, allocating plan assets, selecting money managers, choosing mutual fund options, tracking investment performance,
and selecting other service providers. However, business alliances among pension consultants and money managers can give rise to serious potential conflicts
of interest. This brochure provides a set of questions developed by the SEC and the Department of Labor to assist plan fiduciaries in evaluating the
objectivity of any recommendation provided, or to be provided, by a pension consultant.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/sponsortips.htm

"Senior" Specialists and Advisors: What you should know about professional designations. Some financial professionals use designations that imply they are experts at helping seniors with financial issues. This publication will help you better understand the financial/investment professional designations many "senior" specialists and advisors attach to their name while at the same time encouraging you to evaluate their background.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/senior-profdes.htm

Understanding Investment Professional Designations (tips from
FINRA). This online tool from FINRA describes various professional designations, and tells you whether the granting organization mandates continuing education, offers a public disciplinary process, provides a means to check a professional’s status, and otherwise ensures that a professional designation is more than just a string of letters.http://apps.finra.org/DataDirectory/1/prodesignations.aspx

Investment Clubs

Investment Clubs and the SEC. Investment clubs and questions about them have grown tremendously. This
document answers some of the most common questions and directs you to additional
sources for further information.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/invclub.htm

Investment Companies

Closed-End Funds. A "closed-end fund’’ legally known as a "closed end
company" is one of three types of investment companies. Use this brochure to learn more about
this type fund and its distinguishing characteristics.http://www.sec.gov/answers/mfclose.htm

Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs). An ETF is a type of investment company whose objective is to achieve the
same return as a particular market index. Learn how these funds differ from
traditional open-end companies and Unit Investment Trusts (UITs).http://www.sec.gov/answers/etf.htm

Information Available to Investment Company Shareholders. This publication has descriptions of different types of information that a
traditional investment company—such as a mutual fund, closed-end fund or a
Unit Investment Trust (UIT)—provides to investors. Before investing, it is
important to read a fund’s prospectus and any other available information from
the fund.http://www.sec.gov/answers/mfinfo.htm

Interval Funds. An interval fund is a type of investment company that periodically offers to
repurchase its shares from shareholders. This means that the fund periodically
offers to buy back a stated portion of its shares from shareholders.
Shareholders are not required to accept these offers and sell their shares back
to the fund.http://www.sec.gov/answers/mfinter.htm

Investment Companies. Generally, an "investment company" is a company (corporation,
business trust, partnership, or limited liability company) that issues
securities and is primarily engaged in the business of investing in securities.
This pamphlet describes the three basic types of investment companies.http://www.sec.gov/answers/mfinvco.htm

Periodic Payment Plans. This type of investment allows investors to accumulate shares
of a mutual fund indirectly by contributing a fixed, often small amount of money on a regular basis. This
brochure explains periodic payment plans, describes their costs, and highlights questions you should ask
before investing.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/perpayplans.htm

Unit Investment Trusts (UITS). A "unit investment trust," commonly referred to as a "UIT,"
is one of three basic types of investment company. The other types are mutual
funds and closed-end funds. Learn more about some of the traditional and
distinguishing characteristics of UITs.http://www.sec.gov/answers/uit.htm

Taking Stock: Getting Your Fiscal Act Together. For investors, this is a good time to take stock of where you are and where
you want to be and to plan how best to get there. Here you will find a list of
practical steps that can help any of us get our fiscal act together.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/takingstock.htm

Investments - Foreign (Non-U.S.)

International Investing: Get the Facts.
There are different ways you can invest internationally: through mutual
funds, American Depositary Receipts, U.S.-traded foreign stocks, or direct
investments in foreign markets. This brochure explains the basic facts about
international investing and how you can learn more about foreign companies and
markets.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/ininvest.htm

Investments - Internet

Avoiding Internet Investment Scams: Tips for Investors. You should be skeptical of investment opportunities you learn about
through the Internet. You can avoid online investment scams by getting the
facts before you invest. This publication will answer some questions for
you; let it assist you when you begin to do your research and investigation.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/scams.htm

Internet Fraud: How to Avoid Internet Investment Scams. This publication will tell you how to spot different types of Internet
fraud, what the SEC is doing to fight Internet investment scams, and how to
use the Internet to invest wisely.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/cyberfraud.htm

Pump&Dump.con: Tips for Avoiding Stock Scams on the Internet. Take time to learn about one of the most common Internet frauds:
which is the classic "pump and dump" scheme.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/pump.htm

Tips for Online Investing: What You Need to Know About Trading In
Fast-Moving Markets. Investors trading over the Internet, who are used to instant
access to their accounts and near instantaneous executions of their trades,
especially need to understand how they can protect themselves in fast-moving
markets.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/onlinetips.htm

Investments - Prepaid
Tuition, College Savings Plan

Introduction to 529 Plans. This publication provides an overview
of 529 plans and comparison of the two types of these plans: prepaid tuition and
college savings. You will gain some insight as to the advantages and
disadvantages associated with the plans, the investment choices and options, the
tax implications, and the questions to ask before investing in a 529 plan.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/intro529.htm

Investments - Products, Choices

Beginners' Guide to Asset Allocation, Diversification, and Rebalancing.
For those beginning to invest as well as those investing and saving in the
context of retirement, this publication explains three fundamental concepts of
sound investing: asset allocation, diversification and rebalancing.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/assetallocation.htm

Direct Investment Plans: Buying Stock Directly from the Company. This is a descriptive overview of direct stock plans (DSPs—buying and
selling shares directly with a company) and dividend reinvestment plans (DRIPs—allowing
cash dividends to be reinvested directly with a company for more of its
shares).http://www.sec.gov/answers/drip.htm

Initial Public Offerings (IPOs): Why Individuals Have Difficulty
Getting Shares. The difficulty comes about because these share are under the control of
the underwriters and the issuing company. The SEC does not regulate the
business decision of how IPO shares are allocated. This brochure has a full
explanation.http://www.sec.gov/answers/ipodiff.htm

Investment Choices and Methods. This document outlines and describes a variety of investment products
available to investors. Included are links to several other sources of
information about these products.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/investop.htm

Risky Business: "Pre-IPO [Initial Public Offering]" Investing. Investing at the pre-IPO stage can involve significant risk for
investors; learn why and what you should consider before undertaking this
type of investing.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/preipo.htm

Investments - Research, Education

Analyzing Analyst Recommendations. This publication will help you evaluate research reports and
recommendations that analyst prepare. As a general matter, investors should
not rely solely on an analyst’s recommendation when deciding whether to
buy, hold, or sell a stock.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/analysts.htm

Beginners' Guide to Asset Allocation, Diversification, and
Rebalancing. For those beginning to invest as well as those
investing and saving in the context of retirement, this publication explains
three fundamental concepts of sound investing: asset allocation,
diversification and rebalancing.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/assetallocation.htm

Beginners’ Guide to Mutual Funds. This brochure is a guide to many of the materials on mutual funds
available at the SEC particularly for novice investors and potentially
useful to seasoned investors as a refresher.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/beginmutual.htm

Fake Seals and Phony Numbers: How Fraudsters Try to Look Legit. Some fraudsters mix truth with fiction to make their lies more
believable. Learn how to protect yourself against deceptive tactics with
this publication.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/fakeseals.htm

"High Yields" and Hot Air. This brochure alerts you to what you should know before you receive
those investment offers that purport to pay sky-high returns for what are
at best extremely risky propositions and at worst are pure fraud.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/investorfraud.htm

Information About Some Companies Not Available From the SEC. The federal securities laws require most publicly traded companies to
register their securities and file reports with the SEC. This document
describes how investors can find information on privately held companies and
companies that are exempt from the SEC’s registration requirements.http://www.sec.gov/answers/noinfo.htm

Information Matters. This publication describes the information you should review before you
invest, provides tips on how to find information about companies, and lists
several "red flags" to avoid.http://www.sec.gov/answers/infomatters.htm

Invest Wisely: Advice From Your Securities Industry Regulators. Before making an investment in securities, you must decide which
brokerage firmand sales representative—also referred to as a
stockbroker, account executive, or registered representative—to use.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/inws.htm

Invest Wisely: An Introduction to Mutual Funds. This publication explains the basics of mutual fund investing, how
mutual funds work, what factors to consider before investing, and how to
avoid common pitfalls.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/inwsmf.htm

A Plain English Handbook: How to Create Clear SEC Disclosure Documents. Created by the SEC, this handbook shows you how you can use plain
English to produce more informative disclosure documents.http://www.sec.gov/news/extra/handbook.htm

Researchers and Librarians—Easy Access to Selected Securities and
Investor Information at the SEC. This is a reference guide that will help you navigate through the
information and many documents available at the SEC.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/easyaccess.htm

Taking Stock: Getting Your Fiscal Act Together. For
investors, this is a good time to take stock of where you are and
where you want to be and to plan how best to get there. Here you will find a
list of practical steps that can help any of us get our fiscal act together.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/takingstock.htm

Investments - Retirement
Income

Beginners' Guide to Asset Allocation, Diversification, and
Rebalancing. For those beginning to invest as well as those
investing and saving in the context of retirement, this publication explains
three fundamental concepts of sound investing: asset allocation,
diversification and rebalancing.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/assetallocation.htm

Evaluating Your Retirement Options: The 403(b) Plan. This
publication examines 403(b) plans — which are tax-deferred retirement
savings programs available to employees of public schools, employees of
certain non-profit entities, and some members of the clergy — and outlines
the choices you will likely need to make if you decide to invest in a 403(b)
plan.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/teacheroptions.htm

Lump Sum Payouts: Questions You Should Ask Yourself Before You Invest a Dime. Determining what to do with a lump sum payout can be stressful, be it from an emotional event such as death or a separation from your job. This publication will help you make an informed decision about what to do with your lump sum by presenting you with questions to consider.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/lump_sum_payouts.htm

Ultra-Short Bond Funds: Know Where You're Parking Your Money. Ultra-short bond funds are mutual funds with extremely short maturities, or time periods in which they become due for payment. Our publication explains these funds and how they differ from other investments with relatively low risks, such as money market funds and certificates of deposits (CDs).http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/ultra-short_bond_funds.htm

Investors
- Accredited Investors

Investors - Complaints,
Investigations

About the SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy. Our office acts as your gateway to the SEC. We cannot tell you what
investments to make, but we can tell you how to invest wisely and protect
your hard earned dollars from securities fraud and abuse. If you have
suffered wrongdoing at the hands of a bad broker or investment adviser, we
want to hear from you.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/aboutoiea.htm

Affinity Fraud: How to Avoid Investment Scams That Target Groups.
Learn how to identify and avoid investment scams that prey upon members
of identifiable groups, such as religious or ethnic communities, the
elderly, or professional groups.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/affinity.htm

Broken Promises: Promissory Note Fraud.
While promissory notes can be legitimate investments, those that are marketed broadly to individual
investors often turn out to be scams.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/promise.htm

SEC Complaint Center.
Report suspicious activity, file a complaint about a financial
professional or an investment product, or ask questions. The Division of
Enforcement and The Office of Investor Education and Advocacy created the
SEC complaint center to address your concerns.http://www.sec.gov/complaint.shtml

Investors - Foreign (Non-U.S.)

The Fleecing of Foreign Investors: Avoid Getting Burned by "Hot" U.S. Stocks.
An increasing number of "reload" and "advance fee"
scams target non-U.S. investors who lost money buying low-priced, thinly
traded over-the-counter stocks and who seek to recover their losses. This
brochure describes how some of these scams work, provides tips on how to
avoid them, and tells you where to find help.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/fleecing.htm

Worthless Stock: How to Avoid Doubling Your Losses. Con artists
across the globe have stepped up their efforts to rip off investors, especially
non-U.S. residents who have lost money in the U.S. securities markets. The
SEC wants investors to be extremely skeptical of offers to exchange worthless or
poorly performing stocks for blue chips or "hot" performers. Our
alert tells you how to spot potential "stock swap" scams, how to
evaluate the offers you hear about, and where to turn for help.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/worthless.htm

Investors - Privacy Rights, Protections

The Investor’s Advocate: How the SEC Protects Investors and Maintains
Market Integrity.
The laws and rules that govern the securities industry in the United
States derive from a simple and straightforward concept: all investors,
whether large institutions or private individuals, should have access to
certain basic facts about an investment prior to buying it.http://www.sec.gov/about/whatwedo.shtml

Privacy Choices for Your Personal Financial Information.
This is a descriptive guide to your privacy choices when you interact
with companies involved in financial activities. Included is an appendix:
"Laws Affecting Your Personal Privacy."http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/privbrochure.htm

Mutual Funds

Beginners’ Guide to Mutual Funds.
This brochure is a guide to many of the materials on mutual funds available
at the SEC particularly for novice investors and potentially useful to seasoned
investors as a refresher.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/beginmutual.htm

Index Funds.
"Index fund" describes a type of mutual fund or Unit Investment
Trust (UIT) whose investment objective typically is to achieve the same return
as a particular market index such as the S&P 500 Composite Stock Price
Index, the Russell 2000 Index, and others.http://www.sec.gov/answers/indexf.htm

Information Available to Investment Company Shareholders.
This publication has descriptions of different types of information that a
traditional investment company—such as a mutual fund, closed-end fund or a
Unit Investment Trust (UIT)—provides to investors. Before investing, it is
important to read a fund’s prospectus and any other available information from
the fund.http://www.sec.gov/answers/mfinfo.htm

Invest Wisely: An Introduction to Mutual Funds.
This publication explains the basics of mutual fund investing, how mutual
funds work, what factors to consider before investing, and how to avoid common
pitfalls.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/inwsmf.htm

Mutual Fund Classes.
Known as "multi-class funds," some mutual funds offer investors
different types of shares, known as "classes." Learn more about them
here.http://www.sec.gov/answers/mfclass.htm

Mutual Fund Investing: Look at More Than a Fund’s Past Performance.
This publication looks at other factors involved over the long-term success
(or failure) of your investment in a fund.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/mfperform.htm

Mutual Fund Prospectus, Tips on Reading One.
The prospectus is the fund’s primary selling document and contains
valuable information, such as the fund’s investment objectives or goals,
principal strategies for achieving those goals, principal risks of investing in
the fund, fees and expenses, and past performance.http://www.sec.gov/answers/mfprospectustips.htm

Mutual Fund Proxy Voting Records and Policies.
Mutual funds and other registered management investment companies are required to disclose each year
how they vote proxies relating to securities held in their portfolios. This publication provides a
synopsis of the SEC's reporting requirements and tells you how you can find proxy voting record information
in disclosure documents.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/mfproxyvoting.htm

Ultra-Short Bond Funds: Know Where You're Parking Your Money. Ultra-short bond funds are mutual funds with extremely short maturities, or time periods in which they become due for payment. Our publication explains these funds and how they differ from other investments with relatively low risks, such as money market funds and certificates of deposits (CDs).http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/ultra-short_bond_funds.htm

Options

Promissory Notes

Broken Promises: Promissory Note Fraud.
This publication alerts you to fraud schemes that may confront you when
investing in promissory notes and what you can do to avoid the costly mistake of
investing in a sham.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/promise.htm

Promissory Notes: Promises, Problems.
This publication will help you understand the promissory note as a
legitimate interest-paying investment and draw your attention to the fact that
investors have to be aware: promissory notes are often susceptible to fraud.http://www.sec.gov/pdf/promissory.pdf

Securities Investor Protection Corp.

Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC).
If your brokerage firm goes out of business and is a member of SIPC, then
your cash and securities held by the brokerage firm may be protected up to
$500,000, including a $100,000 limit for cash. This brochure discusses the
organization and identifies some of its other protection limits.http://www.sec.gov/answers/sipc.htm

SIPC Exposes Phony "Look-Alike" Web Site. A group of fraudsters created a fake mirror image of the Securities Investor
Protection Corporation (SIPC)'s website and used the "look-alike" site
to mislead investors. This publication offers tips on avoiding similar
frauds and tells you how to contact the real regulators.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/sipc.htm

Stock - Certificates

Stock Certificates, Lost, Stolen.
Brokerage firms, banks, transfer agents, and corporations have procedures in
place to help investors replace lost or stolen certificates; learn what they are
with this publication.http://www.sec.gov/answers/lostcert.htm

Stock Certificates, Proving Ownership. If you are trying to establish whether you or a family member own securities
or not, here are some steps you can take.http://www.sec.gov/answers/owncert.htm

Stock - Dividends

Ex-Dividend Dates: When Are You Entitled to Stock and Cash Dividends.
This brochure explains when you are entitled to a dividend and what happens
when your company declares a dividend.http://www.sec.gov/answers/dividen.htm

Stock - Exchanges

Circuit Breakers and Other Market Volatility Procedures.
The major stock and commodities exchanges have instituted procedures to
limit mass or panic selling in time of serious market decline and volatility.
This publication describes those procedures and mechanisms that were put in
place.http://www.sec.gov/answers/circuit.htm

Stock - Indexes

Market Indices.
This publication has general descriptions of some major market indices such
as the S&P 500 (composite stock price index), Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA),
New York Stock Exchange Index (NYSE composite) and more.http://www.sec.gov/answers/indices.htm

Stock - Prices

Closing Price.
Many investors use closing prices reported in the newspapers to monitor
their holdings. But not all closing prices are the same, and the differences may
be important to you. Learn what you should know about closing prices with this
brochure.http://www.sec.gov/answers/closepr.htm

Tender Offers

Mini-Tender Offers: Tips for Investors.
Mini-Tender offers typically do not provide the same disclosure and
procedural protections that larger traditional offers provide. These offers—for
less than five percent of a company’s stock—have been increasingly used to
catch investors off guard.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/minitend.htm

Trading Securities

About Settling Trades In Three Days: Introducing T+3.
Investors must settle their security transactions in three business days
("T+3" shorthand for trade date plus three). This publication has
answers to some of the questions we have received about "T+3".http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/tplus3.htm

All About Auto-trading. Investment newsletters often market "auto-trading" programs as a way for investors to get instant execution of
trades of securities the newsletter recommends. However, auto-trading programs can be highly risky. Our brochure provides some steps you will want
to take to check out "auto-trading" before handing over your money.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/autotrading.htm

Circuit Breakers and Other Market Volatility Procedures.
The major stock and commodities exchanges have instituted procedures to
limit mass or panic selling in time of serious market decline and volatility.
This publication describes those procedures and mechanisms that were put in
place.http://www.sec.gov/answers/circuit.htm

Defunct Company, Stock Continues to Trade.
This publication answers your questions about a defunct company’s stock
continuing to trade. The SEC does not have a rule that prohibits the trading of
stock once a company becomes defunct.http://www.sec.gov/answers/dfnctco.htm

Execution Quality Statistics: How to Find Information on Order Execution and
Routing Practices.
Market Centers that trade national market system securities must provide
basic information concerning their quality of executions on a stock-by-stock
basis, including how market orders of various sizes are executed relative to
the public quotes and information about the effective spreads. This document
provides links to this information.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/exquality.htm

Holding Your Securities—Get the Facts.
This publication explains in detail the choices you have when it comes to
holding your securities including the advantages and disadvantages. It also
answers many of your frequently asked questions.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/holdsec.htm

Information About Some Companies Not Available From the SEC.
The federal securities laws require most publicly traded companies to
register their securities and file reports with the SEC. This document describes
how investors can find information on privately held companies and companies
that are exempt from the SEC’s registration requirements.http://www.sec.gov/answers/noinfo.htm

Initial Public Offerings (IPOs): Why Individuals Have Difficulty Getting Shares.
The difficulty comes about because these share are under the control of the
underwriters and the issuing company. The SEC does not regulate the business
decision of how IPO shares are allocated. This brochure has a full explanation.http://www.sec.gov/answers/ipodiff.htm

Microcap Stock: A Guide for Investors.
Information about "microcap stocks"—low priced stocks issued by
the smallest companies—may be difficult to find. When reliable information is
scarce, fraudsters can easily spread false information about microcap companies,
making profits while creating losses for unsuspecting investors.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/microcapstock.htm

Restricted Securities: Removing the Restrictive Legend.
Restricted securities are securities acquired in an unregistered, private
sale from an issuer or from an affiliate of the issuer. This document offers you
additional information about these securities, what is involved in the removal
of a legend, and what to consider if you are thinking about acquiring restricted
securities.http://www.sec.gov/answers/restric.htm

Short Sale Restrictions.
A short sale is generally a sale of stock by an investor who does not
actually own the stock. This document is a review of the rules you must follow
if you want to sell short.http://www.sec.gov/answers/shortrestrict.htm

Trading Suspensions! When the SEC Suspends Trading in a Stock.
The federal securities laws allow the SEC to suspend trading in any stock for
up to ten trading days. This document answers some of the typical questions we
receive from investors about trading suspensions.http://www.sec.gov/answers/tradingsuspension.htm

Transfer Agents.
Companies that have publicly traded securities typically use transfer agents
to keep track of the individuals and entities that own their stocks and bonds.
This document lists the main functions performed by the agents.http://www.sec.gov/answers/transferagent.htm

Day Trading: Your Dollars at Risk.
The facts and risks you should know about day trading, which involves the rapidly buying
and selling of stocks throughout the day hoping that stocks will continue
climbing or falling in value for the seconds to minutes they are owned.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/daytips.htm

Trading Securities - Online, Electronic Trading

Online Brokerage Accounts: What You Can Do to Safeguard Your Money and
Your Personal Information. You will need to protect yourself
against identity thieves, whether hackers, phishers, or snoops, when you use
your online brokerage account. This publication provides a few
suggestions on ways to keep your personal information and money more secure
when you go online.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/onlinebrokerage.htm

Tips for Online Investing: What You Need to Know About Trading In
Fast-Moving Markets.
Investors trading over the Internet or online, who are used to instant
access to their accounts and near instantaneous executions of their trades,
especially need to understand how they can protect themselves in fast-moving
markets.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/onlinetips.htm

Margin: Borrowing Money to Pay for Stocks.
"Margin" is borrowing money from you broker to buy a stock and
using your investment as collateral. Learn how margin works and the risks
you may encounter.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/margin.htm

Going Private.
A company "goes private" when it reduces the number of its
shareholders to fewer than 300 and is no longer required to file reports
with the SEC. This brochure will answer many questions about going private.http://www.sec.gov/answers/gopriv.htm

The Investor’s Advocate: How the SEC Protects Investors and Maintains
Market Integrity.
The laws and rules that govern the securities industry in the United
States derive from a simple and straightforward concept: all investors,
whether large institutions or private individuals, should have access to
certain basic facts about an investment prior to buying it.http://www.sec.gov/about/whatwedo.shtml

Researching the Federal Securities Laws Through the SEC Website.
This guide provides an overview that will help you research the federal securities laws using
information and links found on the SEC website. http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/securitieslaws.htm

Registration Under The Securities Act of 1933.
To keep U.S. markets free of fraud and to provide investors information
concerning securities offered for public sale, the SEC requires companies to
disclose important financial information through the registration of
securities. This publication provides you an overview of how the process
works.http://www.sec.gov/answers/regis33.htm

Rule 144: Selling Restricted and Control Securities.
This brochure presents an overview of what you need to know about selling
your restricted or controlled securities. It also describes how to have a
restricted legend remove.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/rule144.htm

Rule 504 of Regulation D.
This rule provides an exemption from the registration requirements of the
federal securities laws for some companies when they offer and sell up to
$1,000,000 of their securities in any 12-month period. This publication
explains the rule for investors.http://www.sec.gov/answers/rule504.htm

Rule 505 of Regulation D.
This rule allows some companies offering their securities to have those
securities exempted from the registration requirements of the federal
securities laws. This publication generally describes how companies can qualify for
this exemption.http://www.sec.gov/answers/rule505.htm

Rule 506 of Regulation D.
This rule is considered a "safe harbor" for the private
offering exemption of Section 4(2) of the Securities Act. Companies using
the Rule 506 exemption can raise an unlimited amount of money. This
publication helps investors understand how companies use this
exemption.http://www.sec.gov/answers/rule506.htm

Small Business

US Securities and Exchange Commission - Divisions and Offices

About the SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy.
Our office acts as your gateway to the SEC. We cannot tell you what
investments to make, but we can tell you how to invest wisely and protect your
hard earned dollars from securities fraud and abuse. If you have suffered
wrongdoing at the hands of a bad broker or investment adviser, we want to hear
from you.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/aboutoiea.htm

The Investor’s Advocate: How the SEC Protects Investors and Maintains
Market Integrity.
The laws and rules that govern the securities industry in the United States
derive from a simple and straightforward concept: all investors, whether large
institutions or private individuals, should have access to certain basic facts
about an investment prior to buying it.http://www.sec.gov/about/whatwedo.shtml

US Securities and Exchange Commission - Guides, Handbooks, Research Tools

A Plain English Handbook: How to Create Clear SEC Disclosure Documents.
Created by the SEC, this handbook shows you how you can use plain English to
produce more informative disclosure documents.http://www.sec.gov/news/extra/handbook.htm

Researchers and Librarians—Easy Access to Selected Securities and Investor
Information at the SEC.
This is a reference guide that will help you navigate through the information
and many documents available at the SEC.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/easyaccess.htm

Researching the Federal Securities Laws Through the SEC Website.
This guide provides an overview that will help you research the federal securities laws using
information and links found on the SEC website. http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/securitieslaws.htm

Researching Public Companies Through EDGAR: A Guide for Investors.
This guide provides an overview of the free online database of corporate information filed with the
SEC known as EDGAR. In this guide, you will find tips for using the database and answers to frequently
asked questions about researching public companies.http://www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/edgarguide.htm